1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to magnetrons. More particularly, this invention pertains to a compact conventional (non-relativistic) magnetron suitable for numerous military and industrial applications.
2. Background Art
The magnetron is a crossed-field device in which electric fields (RF and d.c.) are perpendicular to a static magnetic field. It is recognized that numerous military and industrial applications exist for employing such a device capable of generating more than 1 Mega-watt of RF power near L-band with efficiencies of 85 percent or more.
Current commercially available magnetrons suitable for use in such critical military applications as providing countermeasures for improvised explosive devices are singularly inadequate for high microwave power (more than 1 Mega-watt RF output) at near L-band operation. For example, the 100L (L-3 Communications Electron Devices, California Tube Laboratory) is capable of only 100 kilowatt RF output near L-band at 88 percent efficiency. Another device, a 300L magnetron, is described by Wynn et al. in an article entitled “Development of a 300 kW CW L-band Industrial Heating Magnetron”. The 300L magnetron is capable of producing approximately 300 kilowatt RF near L-band (915 MHz).
Presently, no conventional magnetron (input voltage less than 100 kV) is capable of producing more than 1 megawatt of output power, near L-band (approximately 912 MHz) for diode voltages at or less than 45 kV with efficiencies exceeding 85 percent.